Government focused on growth and jobs creation
The Prime Minister has announced plans to push the growth of small business, and significant changes in the way advice to business is provided.
The Government is to strengthen its plans to push the growth of small business, with a big expansion in the scope of its planned New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) which will help to create up to 40,000 new businesses by 2013, as well as a new framework for business support and changes to the Business Link website.
This will modernise the way Government provides information to business with greater emphasis on improving small business and growth. For further details read “Bigger, better business: helping small firms start, grow and prosper” (PDF, 229 Kb) , published today.
New Enterprise Allowance
The Allowance, which will help unemployed people set up their own businesses, will be launched later this month in Merseyside and will now be rolled out nationwide from Autumn.
The NEA will be available to twice as many people as was originally planned. It will give people who have been unemployed financial support for their early months of self-employment, access to a start-up loan, and an expert business mentor to help guide them through the early months of their business.
In order to claim the allowance they will need to develop a business plan, and secure the agreement of their proposed mentor that it is viable.
Business Support
There will be significant changes to the way information, guidance and advice to business is provided. Measures will be introduced that focus on improving small business performance and growth and a greater emphasis on further and better private sector provision.
Businesses will benefit from:
An overhaul of the www.businesslink.gov.uk website providing online business information and tools tailored to the needs of business. This will include:
- A Business Startup Hub, including access to online company registration.
- Notification of public procurement opportunities through a “Contracts Finder”.
- A business tax ‘dashboard’ enabling businesses to get set up for tax and keep up with their tax position.
- Better, clearer information on Government regulation.
- New training services and online tools for business to use on the move from their own computer or handheld.
A national contact centre to help businesses who cannot find the information they need on the web or who are not connected to the internet.
A network of at least 40,000 experienced business mentors who will offer practical advice to existing businesses and people who want to start a business.
Business Coaching for Growth, backing high growth SMEs to enable them to realise their potential.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
“Throughout this year and beyond we will be focused relentlessly on supporting growth and driving job creation across our economy. Backing new enterprises to start up and small businesses to grow will be what transforms our economy and will deliver the many thousands of new jobs we will see created this year.
“It is vital that we ensure businesses, and those people who find themselves out of work but have the drive and desire to set up their own business, have all the advice, support and mentoring they need. Together we can make the years ahead some of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial in our history.”
Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said:
“In the current economic climate, it has never been more important to promote an enterprise culture in the UK. It is vital that businesses have the information, advice, and mentoring they need to grow and expand.
“The best people to advise small businesses are those who have already started and run successful companies, so it is particularly important that this new framework for helping businesses to improve focuses on providing access to business mentors.”
Links
Bigger, better business: helping small firms start, grow and prosper (PDF, 229 Kb)